Weava the Wilful Witch

by Tiffany Mandrake

  Jemima sighed and clenched her fists. She went in search of Weava, and found her coming slowly down the stairs. ‘What a mess!’ she said.

  ‘Yes,’ said Weava. ‘I won’t get my Badge of Badness now.’

  ‘Never mind that!’ snapped Jemima. ‘Mum’s already planning another party. She’s going to hire a fire truck next time. My ditzy mum is going to tell me fireman parties are fun. So much for helping me to change her!’

  Weava sighed. ‘If a bad deed like that didn’t put your mum off parties, or make Merry cast a spell, nothing will.’

  ‘You’re a failure,’ said Jemima, and trudged after her mother.

  Weava was almost glad when Merry took her by the hand and led her silently up the stairs to Number 13.

  ‘Aren’t you going to yell at me again?’ asked Weava.

  Merry looked at her sadly. ‘What’s the point? Whatever I do or say, you just go on doing silly, dangerous things.’

  ‘I needed to win my Badge of Badness,’ said Weava. ‘It’s the only way I can get into the Abademy. And I really want to go there, Merry.’ Her lip trembled. ‘I’ve been so lonely since you left home. There are no other witches my age near Wandwood. Dad does his best, but a witchling shouldn’t spend all her time with grown-ups.’

  ‘I wish you’d forget about this Abademy,’ said Merry. ‘School is far less fun than you think.’

  ‘But I want to be with bad fairies my own age,’ said Weava. ‘Don’t you remember the fun we used to have when you got your spells wrong on purpose!’

  ‘I got them wrong because I was no good at magic,’ said Merry. ‘I pretended I was doing it on purpose. I couldn’t pretend at Wand College, and everyone laughed at me. Do you know what they called me? Messy Harm! Once I turned a tutor’s cloak into cobwebs with a cleaningspell. Everyone laughed at me. I left as soon as I could, and I decided I’d never have anything to do with magic again.’

  ‘So you’re living like a human because your classmates made you sad?’ said Weava. ‘And you’re scared the same thing will happen to me if I get into the Abademy?’

  ‘That’s right,’ said Merry. ‘I’ve been trying to save you from being as miserable as I was.’ She gave Weava a kiss. ‘Now, come and have some hot soup. Then you can go to bed.’

  ‘I thought you were being silly,’ said Weava. ‘But really, you were just trying to protect me from being unhappy like you.’

  ‘I don’t want to think about it any more,’ said Merry.

  *

  Weava was lying in bed with gloomy thoughts going round in her head when something scratched on the window.

  Sadly, Weava opened the window for the kit-fae.

  ‘I’ve come to say goodbye, witchling,’ it said. ‘You tried hard, but it didn’t work out. I have to go back to the Abademy to report to the Head Hags. Now don’t cry,’ it added, as fresh tears dripped down Weava’s face. ‘You can’t go to the Abademy, but I’m sure your dad will be pleased to see you back home.’

  Weava tried to smile as the fetch flew away into the night, but she couldn’t manage it.

  13. I’m Sorry

  Someone banged on Merry’s front door. Weava reached the lounge room as Merry opened the door. Mrs James pushed her way into the flat.

  ‘Oh, hello,’ said Merry. ‘I’m sorry your party went wrong yesterday.’

  ‘Sorry!’ said Mrs James. ‘Thanks to you, I might lose my job, and you’re sorry?’ She glared at Merry. ‘The landlord has just been to see me and do you know what? He says I can’t hold any more parties in the loft!’

  ‘But I only sounded the fire alarm,’ said Merry. ‘And the fire chief agreed the loft smelt of gas.’

  ‘You sounded the fire alarm because you thought you smelt a leak!’ said Mrs James. ‘What was wrong with mentioning it to me, quietly? We could have held a costume parade down the stairs and then called the experts. But no, you had to cause a panic.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Merry again.

  ‘You make everything into a drama!’ said Mrs James. ‘And the way you bully that poor little sister of yours…it’s no wonder she’s such a little weirdo.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Merry a third time. She sounded as if she was about to cry.

  ‘Jemima says you broke your sister’s toy wand on purpose! You’re not fit——’

  Weava pushed past Merry. ‘Stop being horrible to Merry!’ she said. ‘I invited the guests who ruined your party and made the gas smells,’ said Weava. ‘So don’t blame Merry!’

  Mrs James stared at Weava. ‘You invited those thugs?’ she said. ‘Well, now I see why Jemima’s fed up with you. We’ve been nothing but nice to you, and this is how you repay us? You’re a brat!’

  ‘That’s enough,’ said Merry quietly. She put her hands on Weava’s shoulders and pushed her gently towards the front door. ‘Why don’t you find Jemima and make friends with her again, Weava?’

  ‘I’m not having that little witch near my child!’ snapped Mrs James.

  Just then, Weava spotted Jemima standing outside Merry’s front door. Jemima was looking horrified.

  ‘I’m going to tell all the neighbours what I think of your precious sister!’ Mrs James said to Merry.

  Merry stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out her old wand. ‘This is what I think of you, you old toad!’ she said, and pointed the wand at Mrs James.

  Mrs James vanished with a hiss and a cloud of green smoke.

  14. Badge of Badness

  ‘Mum!’ Jemima squealed with horror. She ran into Merry’s flat and across the lounge room as her mother vanished.

  ‘Here she is,’ said Weava. She batted the smoke away and picked up something small and brown.

  ‘But that’s a frog!’

  ‘No, it’s a toad,’ said Weava. She held out the toad and it blinked at Jemima.

  ‘But…’ Jemima began to cry with fright. ‘Oh, turn her back!’

  ‘I didn’t do it,’ said Weava. ‘Anyway, why do you want her turned back? Toads can’t make you wear wigs, or hold parties, can they?’

  Jemima stamped her foot. ‘But she’s my mum! The parties are horrible, but having a toad for a mum is worse.’ She turned to Merry. ‘Did you do this?’

  Merry had dropped her wand. She was staring blankly at the toad. Her cheeks were white and her eyes bulged. She obviously wasn’t going to answer, so Weava did it for her.

  ‘Yes, she did it,’ said Weava. She put her arm around her sister. ‘But she wouldn’t have done it if your mother hadn’t yelled at me.’

  Jemima’s tears flowed faster. ‘Mum’s just ditzy. She yells when she’s upset. She’s sorry afterwards.’

  Weava sighed. ‘Don’t cry, Jemima. Merry can undo the spell, if you want. Right, Merry?’

  Merry swallowed.

  ‘Please, turn her back into Mum!’ begged Jemima.

  ‘But I…’ Merry’s voice sounded tight.

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘You can,’ said Weava. ‘It’s like any spell.’

  ‘It will go wrong. It always does!’ said Merry.

  There was silence, except for a sob from Jemima and a gulping sound from Mrs James. And then came a skirl of bagpipes echoing up the stairs.

  ‘Now what?’ moaned Merry.

  Weava’s mouth fell open with surprise. The kit-fae flitted upstairs. Behind it, sailing up the stairs in a flutter of faded tartan, came three tall hags on brooms. Following them was the tabby-fae from the Halloween party.

  ‘Morning, lassie!’ said the first hag to Weava. ‘I am Maggie Nabbie, and these are Auld Anni and Kirsty Breeks.’

  ‘And you know me,’ purred the tabby-fae.

  Weava swallowed. ‘I’m Weava Charm,’ she said. ‘This is my sister, Merry, and my friend, Jemima.’ She held up the toad. ‘This is Jemima’s mother.’

  ‘Aye, so I see,’ said Maggie Nabbie. ‘The tabby-fae said we might be needed here.’

  ‘Have you come to tell me I’ve failed?’ asked Weava.

  Maggie admired
the toad. ‘But you haven’t failed! This is a bonnie bad deed,’ she said. ‘Quite worthy of a Badge of Badness.’ She glanced at the other hags, who nodded.

  From among her tartan tatters, Maggie brought out a fat badge shaped like a jack-o’-lantern. ‘Take it, lassie, and join us at the Abademy of Badness.’

  Weava longed to take the badge, but she did not. ‘I can’t,’ she said. ‘I didn’t do the toad-spell, and now I don’t even have a wand. Merry did the spell.’

  ‘She would never have done it if you hadn’t come to stay,’ said Kirsty Breeks.

  ‘And a dastardly deed it is,’ said Auld Anni. ‘I’ve not seen a toadifying in years.’ She smiled at Weava. ‘Lassie, you’ve earned your Badge of Badness and your place at the Abademy.’

  ‘So I did make Merry do a spell after all. I have done a bad deed,’ said Weava.

  Maggie offered the badge again. This time, Weava took it. The kit-fae flitted to Weava’s shoulder and clung there, purring with pleasure.

  Weava pinned the badge to her dress, and turned to her sister. ‘I’m sure I’ll be happy at the Abademy, Merry,’ she said. ‘I’ll make lots of friends.

  If anyone is horrible to me, the Head Hags will turn them into toads.’

  ‘We will, too,’ said Anni. ‘We’ll look after Weava. Now, Merry, will you allow us to take your wee sister to school?’

  ‘I suppose so,’ muttered Merry.

  Anni conjured a new wand, and gave it to Weava. Then she cast a come-to-mespell, which brought Weava’s broom sailing from the cupboard where Merry had locked it.

  Merry looked at the hags and managed a smile.

  ‘What about Mum?’ wailed Jemima.

  ‘Och, yes, better turn her back,’ said Anni. She raised her eyebrows at Merry.

  ‘I can’t,’ said Merry.

  ‘Yes, you can,’ said Weava. She picked up Merry’s wand and put it in her sister’s hand. ‘Just point it, and think about the toad changing into Mrs James,’ she said.

  Merry pointed the wand. ‘Mrs James,’ said Merry. ‘I can’t——’ She broke off as the toad vanished and Mrs James appeared in a puff of smoke.

  ‘Mum!’ cheered Jemima.

  Mrs James blinked at the hags. ‘Have you come to complain about my party?’

  ‘No,’ said Maggie Nabbie quietly. ‘But you should give up on parties.’ She fished a battered book from her shawl. ‘Take this pattern book and design stage costumes. You know you want to.’

  Dazed, Mrs James took the book. ‘Thanks very much,’ she said. Then she opened it at the first page. ‘What a lovely book,’ she said. ‘Jemima, come and look!’

  Jemima peered at the book. ‘Yes, Mum, it’s cool,’ she said. Then she turned and smiled at Weava. ‘I’ll miss you, Weava.

  And I’ll tell you something…’ She came to whisper in Weava’s ear. ‘It’s better to have a ditzy woman for a mum than a toad.’

  ‘Maybe we could go for a coffee,’ said Mrs James to Merry. ‘I have so many new ideas I’d love to discuss.’

  ‘I’d like to,’ said Merry, ‘but today I’m going to see my dad. I haven’t seen him in a while and we have a lot to talk about.’

  ‘Maybe next week then,’ said Mrs James. She took Jemima’s hand and led her back to their flat.

  ‘And now it is time to take Weava to school,’ said Maggie, when the humans had gone. ‘Are you ready, lassie?’

  ‘Almost,’ said Weava.

  ‘Then we’ll be off,’ said Anni. ‘You follow.’

  Weava turned her head and whispered to the kit-fae. ‘Merry needs help with her magic.’

  ‘Yes, she does,’ said the fetch. ‘That’s why the tabby-fae is here.’

  The tabby-fae leapt down from Maggie’s broom. ‘I’ve come to live with you, Merry,’ it purred.

  It rose to its hind legs and rubbed its whiskers against Merry’s skirt. ‘Don’t worry. You’ll like having me about the place,’ it said. ‘And I can help you get your spells right from now on.’

  Merry looked surprised, and then she smiled. ‘Thank you!’ she said.

  Weava hugged her sister. ‘See you soon,’ she said. Then she got on her broom, and flew happily after the hags.

  A Note from Tiffany Mandrake

  Psst, this is me, Tiffany Mandrake, again.

  Merry gave up selling Candywaft perfume. Instead, she helps Mrs James with Stage Magic, her new costume business. The tabby-fae gives advice, and helps Merry with simple spells. Stage Magic is doing well. The costumes look good, feel good, and never need mending. Merry often takes a weekend off and goes to visit her dad.

  Jemima is happy too, since her mum stopped forcing her to have fun. She still thinks of Weava and wonders: did she really fly on a broom? She looks forward to the day when Weava comes for another holiday at Brimstone Buildings.

  And what about Weava? She and the kit-fae have the times of their lives at the Abademy of Badness with all the other young bad fairies. I live in a cosy, creepy cottage in the Abademy grounds. The hags know I’m here, and they trust me completely.

  They know I’ll never say a word…and I haven’t…

  …except to you.

  About the Author

  Bad behaviour is nothing new to Tiffany Mandrake—some of her best friends are Little Horrors! And all sorts of magical visitors come to her cosy, creepy cottage in the grounds of the Hags’ Abademy.

  Tiffany’s favourite creature is the dragon who lives in her cupboard and heats water for her bath. She rather hopes the skunk-fae doesn’t come to visit again, for obvious reasons.

  About the Artist

  Martin Chatterton once had a dog called Sam, who looked exactly like a cocker spaniel…except she was much smaller and had wings. According to Martin, she even used to flutter around his head and say annoying things. Hmmm!

  Martin has done so many bad deeds he is sure he deserves several Badges of Badness. ‘Never trust a good person’ is his motto.